Fighting is a natural part of life in the wild; it is how animals defend themselves against attack, find food, or protect their territories. The strongest animals in a fight are not naturally savage creatures that just enjoy tearing others to pieces- they are only fighting for survival.
Survival is still the goal in the unnatural environment where animals are pitted against each other to fight for show. These cruel sports thrive because animals instinctively know that they must defend themselves, or suffer grave bodily injury.
The strength or weaknesses of animals depend on the tools they have been given; and that depends on their diet.
Strongest Animals In A Fight
1. Elephants
Elephants only eat grass; they are calm and gentle. They can be domesticated, and kept as pets, or used to perform tasks. However, when you see an elephant with its ears erect, and its tail swinging, then you better run because that animal could squish you like a mouse.
Elephants can stand 10ft tall, and weigh 7 tons. They are friendly, and intelligent creatures with no need for aggressive behavior, except when males wrestle for a right to mate, or when they have to defend themselves against predators.
It would take a very stupid lion to try to feast on an elephant; it could get on top of the elephant, and give it injuries, but it could never bring it down. One elephant can resist 5 lions, and any unlucky lion could end up injured or dead.
2. Rhinoceros
Rhinos are smaller than elephants; they weigh 4.5 tons- which is roughly half of what elephants weigh. However, that is still plenty of size, and in fact, Rhinos are more dangerous than Elephants.
While Elephants may look somewhat clumsy, Rhinos are built like tanks. They have powerful horns pointing forward from their noses, and these horns are more designed for fighting than that of the elephant which seems better adapted for sparing.
Rhinos are bursting with rage, when they charge forward, there are few animals that can stand up to them. Even if a lion could be stupid enough to attack a Rhino it would quickly learn who is boss because while an elephant would probably back away, a Rhino would likely charge. If the lion is a slow learner it would probably die in that engagement because Rhinos have thick skins; therefore any biting would be in vain.
The Rhino has the advantage of being eager to fight. That rage turns the table against the hunter who soon becomes the hunted.
3. Hippos
The Hippopotamus is another animal that is built for dominance; it is a ferocious beast, one that is at home both on land and in the water. Hippos are herbivores, and they weigh as much as 5 tons.
They often share pools and rivers with Crocodiles, and while crocodiles may seem fearsome, they know who is boss! Crocodiles will never dare attack even a baby hippo with its mother standing by because they know the retribution will be too much for them to bear.
Hippos can run faster than horses, and they can deliver powerful kicks with their legs. However, their most dangerous feature is their teeth; which shoot forward like daggers. Hippos don’t bite; they lacerate their foes by making sideways swiping movements which inflict heavy injuries.
A single lion would be stupid if it tried to take down a hippo; it would never do that again after receiving painful injuries. Even if the lion could bite it, it couldn’t deliver the bite deep enough to cause any problems, whereas the hippo only needs one swipe to send it to the hospital. Hippos have been known to attack 3 lions in the water, although the lions could get revenge on land.
4. Tigers
Tigers are the biggest felines in the world; they can weigh 130kg, and 3.1 meters in length. Tigers can jump to amazing heights, and kill foes hidden in trees with one movement. They have powerful limbs and can break bones and rip flesh in single movements.
When a tiger puts its jaws around something that is usually the end of the fight, and of the life of the victim, especially if smaller in size. Tigers are not actually fighters, they are killers. They prefer to sneak up behind their victims and take them before they are aware of what has happened.
Sometimes, however, the victim does not go down without a fight, and that is when the tiger must use its amazing strength. A tiger can carry a buffalo or a cow over a great distance so as to it its mean undisturbed. It can even drag a large kill up a tree to protect its meal. Such an animal has no problem wrestling down big creatures and so in terms of strength it is certainly mighty.
5. Lions
The lion is called the king of the jungle because it is probably the strongest animal in a fight. The lion’s strength comes from its social structure; lions live in tight knit families called prides, and they hunt as one. Even an elephant or a rhino would have a hard time fighting off a pride of up to 10 lions, especially because they are well trained and coordinated.
Lions have sharp claws and fangs, and they have one of the strongest bite forces on earth. They are not built for fighting but killing, which they do by grabbing their foes by the neck and killing it as quickly as they can.
When they get to wrestle one on one they can win against buffalos, wildebeest, and even crocodiles, which are the some of the world’s most feared animals.
6. Crocodiles
Nobody would dare go near a body of water if they knew that a crocodile was there. In the wild, animals are certainly brave enough to avoid any water infested with crocs. But it is quite hard to place crocodiles on the sixth position in this list because they can grow to lengths of at 6.17 m (20 ft. 3 in), and reach 1,075 kg (2,370 lb) in weight.
If average crocodiles (11 ft 6 in – 19 ft 8 in) in length and 200 to 1,100 kg (440 to 2,430 lb) in weight can scare off lions, then who could stand against these powerful giants in a fair fight.
Crocodiles battle buffalos, and once they can drag them into the water, it is all over. Lions and tigers are tougher prospects but crocodiles have been known to attack those as well.
7. Grizzly Bears
Grizzly Bears are big, strong, and ferocious. They are brimming with rage, and can bring plenty of destructive power into a fight. They are omnivores; they eat vegetation, fish, and small mammals and rodents.
However, they are massive. They can grow to lengths of about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and weigh about 410 kg (900 pounds). Bears are one of the largest fighting animals; and they have plenty of speed and stamina.
Grizzly Bears are one of those creatures who attack first, and ask questions later. They have more powerful muscles than lions, and they can deliver more powerful blows.
They should be the apex predators- just that they are not exactly predators.
8. Buffalos
Buffalos are bovines related to cattle. They move in herds, and have plenty of muscle. Their inherent weakness lies in the fact that they are herbivores, and so they are harassed by carnivores who want to meals of them.
However, Buffalos have shown time and again that they are not easy pickings. They can fight off lions and leopards, delivering kicks and ramming their horns into their bodies. They do this because they have the advantage of size.
Buffalos shoulder height can range from 1.0 to 1.7 m (3.3 to 5.6 ft), and they can weigh between 425 to 870 kg. Even if a lion were to jump on its back, the buffalo would probably take it for a ride. However, lions hunt in teams, and so the fight would probably be in their favor, unless the herd of buffalos decides to get involved; they have been known to kill lions.
9. Leopards
Leopards are more elusive than most other animals; they are well camouflaged with green and black spots and so they blend in with their environment. They also like to hang in trees, so even when people pass right under them, they often have no idea that they have come so close to a leopard.
Leopards reach lengths of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) minus the tail, and they weigh 30.9–72 kg (68–159 lb). They are usually slender and muscular, which means plenty of strength, but not the bulk. Leopards can kill buffaloes in one on one duels, but it can also go against it just as easily.
10. Mountain Lions
Mountain lions are members of the same family as lions, tigers and leopards. They are called cougars, pumas, catamounts, or panthers, depending on where you go. These are not fierce fighters like lions or grizzly bears, but they are precision killers. They pounce on their prey before they even know what hit them, and the struggle doesn’t even last more
Cougars weigh around 53 to 100kg, and reach lengths of 54 inches minus the tail. A mountain lion would probably die in a fight with a grizzly bear, but it could have a draw against a leopard, and win over a wolf.
The following is a more comprehensive list of the 50 strongest animals in a fight.
| Rank | Animal | Location |
| 1 | Elephants | Africa/Asia |
| 2 | Rhinoceros | Africa/Asia |
| 3 | Hippos | Africa |
| 4 | Tigers | Africa/Asia |
| 5 | Lions | Africa/Asia |
| 6 | Crocodiles | Africa/Asia |
| 7 | Grizzly Bears | Americas |
| 8 | Great white sharks | |
| 9 | Buffalos | Africa/Asia |
| 10 | Leopards | Africa/Asia |
| 11 | Komodo Dragons | |
| 12 | Gorilla | Africa |
| 13 | Moose (Elk) | Americas |
| 14 | Jaguar | Americas |
| 15 | Mountain lions | Americas |
| 16 | Red Deer | |
| 17 | Northwestern wolf | Americas |
| 18 | Alligator | Worldwide |
| 19 | Hammerhead sharks | |
| 20 | Interior Alaskan wolf | Americas |
| 21 | Eurasian wolf | |
| 22 | Wildebeest | Africa |
| 23 | Orca | |
| 24 | Zebra | Africa |
| 25 | Grey wolf | Americas |
| 26 | Wild Donkey | Africa/Asia |
| 27 | Wild pig | Africa/Asia |
| 28 | Wild goat | |
| 29 | Addax | |
| 30 | Harpy eagles | |
| 31 | Cassowary | |
| 32 | Stellar’s Sea Eagle | |
| 33 | Alaskan malamute | |
| 34 | Coyote | |
| 35 | German shepherd | |
| 36 | Pit-bull | |
| 37 | Dingo | |
| 38 | Rottweiler | |
| 39 | Chinese boar | |
| 40 | African Wolf | Africa |
| 41 | Chimpanzee | Africa/Asia |
| 42 | African wild dog | Africa |
| 43 | Ostrich | Africa |
| 44 | Spotted hyena | Africa |
| 45 | Maned wolf | Europe |
| 46 | Red fox | Europe |
| 47 | Ethiopian wolf | |
| 48 | Philippine eagle | |
| 49 | Steppe eagle | |
| 50 | Wahlberg eagle | |
| 51 | Ocelot | Americas |
| 52 | Lynx | Americas |
| 53 | Cheetah | Africa |
| 54 | Wolverine | |
| 55 | Jaguarondi | Americas |
| 56 | Bobcat | Americas |
| 57 | Raccoon | Americas |
| 58 | Mongoose | Americas |
| 59 | Squirrel | Worldwide |
| 60 | Honey badger |
Related:
Closing
The strongest animals in a fight are not trying to fight; most of them are trying to get a meal, and to do so as quickly as possible, in a manner that will give them the least injuries. Sometimes strong animals cross paths, and so they have to prove their superiority. The goal is to scare off the opponent as quickly as possible, especially if the opponent is looking for a meal; only rarely do two animals engage in a protracted conflict.